Flavia is growing up and her vast cast of characters have dwindled a bit in this "episode", but it's exciting for Dogger and Flavia to get their first case under their new detective agency. Narrated wonderfully, as always, by Jayne Entwistle. ( )

Somewhat disappointing entry in the series. While there was quite a bit of humor in this one as compared to the last couple, I found the “case” to be almost incomprehensible. Also, I do not like Undine in the least and her presence in this book grated on me. Also, while trying to avoid spoilers, Mr Bradley needs to read up on the physiology of rats. ( )

i love flavia and enjoyed this more mystery based return to the original. I feel the author is struggling to provide reasonable occurrences more than he needs to. I know a twelve or 13 year old kid in a small village can only solve so many murders, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief. Think I'd enjoy it more if he weren't constantly trying to explain it. In this one, Dpgger and the housekeeper are welcome, whole daffy and feely are peripheral. ( )

In this 10th Flavia de Luce mystery, Flavia and Dogger have launched their own investigative agency, and to her surprise and delight the occasion of her sister's nuptials presents a new mystery to solve in the form of a disembodied finger discovered inside the wedding cake. The story was just OK. One aspect I found odd (and a little disappointing) was that Flavia's inner voice sounds different here when compared with previous books in the series, almost as though the author had decided to exaggerate her heretofore charming quirkiness, which fell a bit flat for me. Though the most recently published, this certainly doesn't feel to me like a series conclusion, so I suspect Bradley, who is now 86, intends/ed to write another. ( )

After my slignt disappointment with the previous volume in this series, I believed to the end that this one was back on track. It begins with her elder sister's wedding and an unpleasant discovery in the cake, which leads Flavia and Dogger on an unofficial investigation. Soon enough, that investigation dovetails with the first official one of the Discreet Investigations firm which they agreed to set up at the end of the last book, now that Flavia has inherited her beloved Buckshaw. The scenes between Flavia and Dogger, who must be the best sidekick in mystery novels and whose character I love, were a delight to read. I also found the setting details including the cemetery at Brookwood, which I've previously read about, fascinating.

It's interesting that, at 12 years old, Flavia is now starting to mature emotionally and to realise that she needs people, and the value of friendship. There is even a very early sign of romantic feelings towards a boy whom she meets while he is staying briefly at the vicarage. Even her cousin Undine, who has been a character I've found irritating up to now, begins to have some value in the story and both Flavia and Dogger agree shows promise for the future when she is less a child. I can start to see facets of Flavia as a younger child and previously annoying to the adults around her in Undine.

So, given all the positives, I thought this book would be a five star read. But when I reached the end and thought about it afterwards I realised that, as with previous novels in the series, the central mystery and the motivation of the guilty parties really doesn't add up. why would the character who engages them in the first place involve them and what is the reason for murdering that character? So because of that I have to deduct one star and rate this at 4 stars instead. ( )